1. Field of the Technology
The present application relates generally to mobile stations which utilize scanning techniques in order to identify one or more wireless communication networks within which to communicate.
2. Description of the Related Art
Before wireless communications may take for a mobile station in a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) wireless network, the mobile station must identify one or more available wireless networks in its coverage area and select one of them for communication. To do this, the mobile station causes a scanning procedure to be performed to identify one or more radio frequency (RF) signals within its coverage area. Each RF signal is associated with one of the wireless networks within which the mobile station may be able to operate. Optimal RF signals are generally those RF signals which have been identified to have the best RF signal strengths for communication.
For each optimal RF signal, the mobile station decodes system control information over a broadcast control channel (BCCH). The system control information includes network identification information (e.g. a Mobile Country Code (MCC) and a Mobile Network Code (MNC)) associated with the wireless network and is utilized by the mobile station for selecting the most appropriate wireless network for communication. The mobile station registers and obtains service through the selected wireless network, so that communications through the selected wireless network may proceed.
The signal strength level which is obtained for each RF signal is actually an averaged signal strength value which is based on a plurality of signal strength measurements of the RF signal taken over a time period. In GSM/GPRS communication systems, for example, it is required to take five measurement samples of the signal strength level of each RF signal over a period of five seconds (generally one sample per second) and complete the averaged signal strength value based on these five measurement samples. After the averaged signal strengths of the RF signals are calculated, the mobile station decodes the control information on each control channel associated with the optimal RF signals which have optimal averaged signal strengths.
There is a need for improved scanning and decoding methods and apparatus which will result in obtaining control information (e.g. network identification information) of wireless communication networks in a reduced amount of time.